Friday, August 16, 2024

A Fossil, Street Poetry and Yarn Art


It's been a long time since I've done a random photo post -- not since June, I think! So here's a collection of stuff I've photographed over the last several weeks.

First, when we ate at The Ledbury almost a month ago, we were intrigued to find this sitting on the table. It's a fossilized chunk of a giant tree fern (Osmundacaulis) that lived during the Jurassic period. Looking around the restaurant we realized that every table was decorated with a fossil of some type. It was an interesting change from the normal vase of flowers! (Though I think we had flowers too.)


Olga was tempted to get her jam on during a recent walk, but that guitar, sadly, looked beyond playing.


Words to live by!


St. John's Wood has some really impressive hanging baskets decorating the streets.


While Dave was in Indiana, I took the opportunity to have an '80s film festival of sorts, watching a series of movies including "Less Than Zero," "Some Kind of Wonderful" and some Miami Vice. I also watched William Friedkin's "To Live and Die in L.A.," which somehow I had never seen. The image above is a shot of our TV screen at a transitional moment in the movie that I especially liked. I don't know who should get the credit for that effect, the cinematographer or the designer of that plaza, but it works!


Street poetry on Mill Lane. In case you have trouble reading it, it says:

Where the forest meets the sea
My baby waits for me. Amber waters
Pine and Sand. Acid friendship
Take my hand. P-T



Also on Mill Lane, another panel of the Mill Lane Bridge, painted by Alex, age 8. Looks like he's taking out the recycling? I think some of the panels on the bridge may have been redone. It looks like it's been freshened up since I last saw it.


Here's something I've never seen before. Would you pay £10 to sit in a room with other people and hum?


Finally, someone's put this very summery decoration on a post box in St. John's Wood. They may not be as useful for communication anymore, but post boxes still make good sculpture!

19 comments:

  1. Another exceptional collection. You’ve got such an eye and find wonderful things to share. No way would I join a humming circle, although it would very quickly have me laughing hysterically. 10 pounds for a hum job, on the other hand, is cheap.

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  2. You are The King of Quirk! Always watching out for the odd bits and the intrigue. Hump maybe but not hum.

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  3. Hate will get you no where! So very true

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  4. Hmm, not sure about humming.
    I wonder if people take the fossils when they depart?
    It was killer hot when we were in London I think in 2019 but the flowering baskets just looked terrific. They would need daily watering and on an earlier visit I noticed a private company in a vehicle in Lancaster Gate travelling around watering hanging baskets at private houses and apartment buildings.
    Even in the heat and humidity of Canada, hanging baskets do well. I wonder why we don't have them here.

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  5. I love those hanging baskets. There's a town or two around here that have them. I guess they get daily care because they always look fresh. Ordnance? Weird street name, must be a noisy place to live.

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  6. Crochet in the wild! Very cool!

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  7. You really do pay attention when you're out and about and capture interesting things that most of us might not even notice.

    And No to paying to hum; I can do that at no charge!

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  8. Somehow, I missed your post yesterday and am just catching up. You certainly are now the official collector of the slides of Joan Tubbs. I imagine you will be quitting your library job soon to act as curator of a small museum of her slides. Just teasing you, Steve! I was surprised you bought so many!

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  9. You are so right about the image you captured from your TV. Wow! What a photo!
    I love the blue guitar leaning up against the blue news box. Nice.
    I have a friend who has gotten into doing healing circles with drums and with chanting and with humming too, I'm sure. I mean, he's the one organizing and putting these events on. I am standing on the sidelines going, "Well, okay!" People show up. They engage. They participate. Whatever brings comfort, right?

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  10. Art comes in many forms on the streets. You've captured a good collection of images. The plaza is beautifully designed and the shadows of the tall palm trees are a great feature. Not all architects factor these elements in to their design.

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  11. I wonder how many people walk by these sites and don't notice them. Interesting collection of photos from summer outings.

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  12. there is something about the vibration that humming produces. one of the yoga classes I went to we would end with chanting the OM three times. they called it chanting but it was really humming. doubt I'd pay £10 to participate though. I love the small not with the ivy and the hanging basket.I always wonder how they get them and keep them looking so good.

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  13. I agree the plaza in LA is a great geometric photo/video. No to paying to hum, as almost everyone agrees...so the sad person will be sitting by themself and humming along with an empty basket in front of them.

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  14. A fascinating assortment of images. I love the green garden on the post box. I don't think I'd join a group to hum for free even. That scene from the movies is prefect. Someone was observant enough to include that. And, a piece of fossil on the table of a fine dining restaurant is a very unique decor idea.

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  15. I've seen several things online recently stating that humming is good for you mentally since you're not able to think about stuff while doing it. I call BS on that idea. I can think (and worry) quite easily while humming!

    Love the fossil idea AND the fossil on your table!

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  16. I don't think I'll put humming on my list -- unless it's humming a tune I pick up at a show or concert! Love the Alex mural. And the fossil is an interesting touch.

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  17. I would lose my mind in a room with a bunch of people humming. Love the hanging basket! I kill them.

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  18. I LOVE that plaza shot! I wouldn't join a humming group.

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  19. Yikes! A group of hummers in one room! Not for me either. I suspect the knit on the post box was removed by the mail person. I have delusions that he is now wearing it as a head covering. But, I have many delusions.

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